Finding Your Roots Season 10 Begins Tues., Jan. 2 2024, on PBS at 8 p.m.

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. starts its 10th Season in just a few days on January 2, 2024, on PBS at 8 p.m. Eastern. 

If you can't catch the show Tuesday night, don't worry it repeats on Wednesday, at 3 p.m. and again Saturday at 5 p.m. It may even end up on your provider's InDemand or similar service.

You can find the premiere and extended trailer on the show's PBS website page, Face Book page or on its YouTube Channel.

There are 10 episodes for this season. Here are the celebrity guests announced so far or seen in the trailer: Ciara, Alanis Morissette, Valerie Bertinelli, Brendan Fraser, LeVar Burton, Wes Studi, Sammy Hagar, Ed O'Neill, Bob Odenkirk, Iliza Schlesinger, Sunny Hostin, Jesse Williams, Danielle Brooks, Dionne Warwick, Tracy Morgan, Anthony Ramos, Lena Dunham, Michael Douglas AND three "viewers like you" (Megan Robertson, Joyce Willis, Terrie Morrow) for the first time.

Don't forget between 2022 and 2023 we created Genealogy TV Show BINGO cards for you and your family or a viewing party can play while watching. We tweaked the cards so that by version 4 it would work well with both types of genealogy TV shows. The earlier versions tend to work better for one show type or the other. Regardless of which version you use, have fun!

See at our favorite library!
LE

Software MacKiev has 3-Day Family Tree Maker Sale on Software, Plug-ins, etc.

Software MacKiev is having a New Years Sale for three days on Family Tree Maker. Save up to 60% on the download of Family Tree Maker 2019. This is a great deal if you have not already upgraded to FTM2019. This sale price is for new and existing users.

Currently, FTM2019 is the only version that can sync a FTM tree file with an Ancestry member online tree. A fix was said to be in the works for Family Tree Maker 2017 to sync again also but it has not happened yet and that software is 6/7 years old. With FTM2019 being 4/5 years old we guess (just us guessing) that a new version may be in the works considering the brand will be celebrating 35 years in 2024.

Click this link to go to the storefront with this sale.

Also, Tana Pedersen author of many of the Family Tree Maker companion guides and books has joined Software MacKiev and has authored a new book, Little Book of Answers: Tips, Tools and Extras. A pre-order sale of 50 percent off this book is happening during this three-day sale as well. She will be signing the book at the RootsTech 2024 conference at the end of February.

There are additional sale prices on other items in the Family Tree Maker Gift Collection. Such as:

• 30% off for new users and 40% off for upgrading Charting Companion 8
• Up to 40% off Family Book Creator which now as a Mac version as well as a PC version

See you at our favorite library.
LE

MCGG Releases Its January 2024 Meetings

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and will have a safe and joyous New Year. MCGG is working on its 2024 Winter/Spring Schedule. Until the whole schedule is released for the new season we wanted to let you know about our January meetings.

 

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) Wednesday, January 10, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Where Do I Go From Here?

Bring research questions, brick walls, or new finds to share with the group! Let's share our challenges, maybe someone will have an idea to solve them.

Why is this our most popular discussion topic? Because it is your opportunity to get your questions or problems hopefully answered. But not just from one point of view but often several. And, when you have a new genealogy find you have like-minded genealogists who understand that satisfaction when maybe family members do not.

MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid*) Friday, January 12, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium B/C of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Genealogical Help Session

Got a genealogy question or two? This is the meeting for you (and members too). We will have our experienced genealogy members man help desks to help you with a variety of problems. We have members who have experience with a variety of genealogy topics. Like getting started, various locations throughout the United States, lineage society proof help, military service, ethnic research (German, English, Canadian, French, Italian, etc.), genealogy software, DNA,  ... you name it we probably have someone who has dealt with it.

*Our plan is that these will be hybrid meetings meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets December 13; The Topic is ... Vital Records

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Vital Records.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Ancestry 50% Off Sale until Nov. 27

Just a reminder: Check your websites of interest often during this holiday weekend. Sales can pop-up (Flash) that are brief or if you are lucky they last a bit longer. Because MCGG members often ask about this sale in particular, we are making this post.

Ancestry is having its 50% off sale until November 27.

Get 50% off Ancestry Gift memberships. You have a choice of either 6 months or 1 year and either the U.S., World or All-Access subscription. Remember these are for recipients who currently do not have an active subscription. When you make the purchase, you pick the start date within a specified time period. So if you don't have a current, active subscription you can gift yourself.

The other option is to save 50% or more on AncestryDNA tests. There are three options: just the test; or for new or those without a current active subscription the test and a World Explorer Membership for $1; or two tests and All-Access Membership. These memberships will renew every three months until you cancel.

See our prior posts on AncestryDNA for the relatively recent changes in what you can access for your DNA test without an Ancestry member subscription and what you can not.

Also, in general you save more by purchasing a longer-term subscription. So a 1-year or 6-month saves you more than paying monthly. But also consider if you only research in the winter months than it makes more sense to align your subscription term with when you plan to do genealogy research.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Happy Thanksgiving!

"'Cousin Reginald Catches the Thanksgiving
Turkey'" by dok1 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

First, as the title of this post says, Happy Thanksgiving. Thank your T-day cooks and for those not cooking give your cooks some help with today's set-up and clean-up. Whether your meal and day is traditional or non-traditional, enjoy it!

Second, it is that time of year again for huge seasonal savings. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.

Normally, you would see post after post in this spot letting you know of the savings here, there and everywhere. The savings are still here, there and everywhere. But if you are looking for a particular genealogy or technology product or service, go to that website and look.

Want to know what the savings were last year or the year before? Use the labels on this website -- go to the prior year then November and look at the posts for last year. Or, click on the label for a product/service to see all the posts for that service. For example, MyHeritageDNA will bring up our prior posts which almost always involve reporting on a sale. So, when you go to the MyHeritage website you would clearly see that the current sale is its lowest price at $33. (Sale ends tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.)

Here is a tip. Use those shopping lists. It may seem intrusive but by adding an item to a shopping list, you can often see when the price of an item lowers. There are also price comparison tools out there too.

And don't forget to check the various websites often during this time. Sometimes there are Flash Sales that are not widely advertised. So, it can pay to be on a website's emailing list.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Free Access FindMyPast Websites November 9-13, 2023

FindMyPast websites (like FindMyPast.com) are having a free access weekend in honor of Veteran's Day/Remembrance Weekend. From November 9 to November 13, 2023, there is free access with some exclusions.

Just sign in with an existing user account or create one if you have not already done so. The easiest way is to perform a search and then create an account or sign into your existing free account when asked to do so.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Updated Links for Library of Michigan Library Card

Not too long ago we were sharing information on the Library of Michigan Library Card that is available to any Michigan resident or student. We realized one of the link had changed so we thought we would update everyone.

To apply for your first Library of Michigan Library Card or to renew a card you had previously applied for in-person or online (like during the pandemic) use this link to Get a Library Card which has not changed.

To see a clickable list of all of the databases you can use from home with your Library of Michigan Library Card, see this new link to Online Resources for Library Cardholders.

As you will see there are lots of reasons (databases) for Michigan genealogists and family historians to have a Library of Michigan Library Card.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Fold3 Free Access in Honor of Veterans Day through Nov. 12, 2023

It is the 76th Anniversary of the first Veterans Day Celebration, started in a small community as a day to celebrate all veterans regardless of war, both living and dead, which eventually became a national celebration.

Fold3 is giving free access to its site through Sunday, November 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. MT.

Just register for the basic Fold3 membership which is free with no credit card required. If you already have a free Fold3 basic membership, just sign into the website. (You do not need to sign up for a 7-day free trial which requires a credit card.) Another way to do this is to just start a search and then click to view an image (marked free) and then the correct registration link to a free basic membership option will come up.

Have fun searching and finding!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

 

Tonight is MCGG's Let's Talk...Genealogy Meeting & Our Topic is Fold3 -- Join Us!

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) tonight, Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Fold3: How to Use It.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will be found on the Library Events Calendar. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

MCGG Meets Tomorrow at 1 p.m.

The MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid*) tomorrow Friday, November 3, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... In Recognition of Valor & Service: American Military Medals and Decorations  presented by Steven Mrozek.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will be found on the Library Events Calendar. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Lowest Price Ever Returns to MyHeritageDNA

 Lowest Price Savings are here ... NOW! 

We will try to highlight what we have found but may not write a post about all we have seen for this holiday season. Yes, the holiday season is here. Honestly, it was here before Halloween. Our best advice is if you are interested in a website or product, check on that website/product frequently just in case they hold a flash sale. If you can put a watch on an item or add it to a shopping list, you'll see and learn when the price drops (or raises.)

Please take note, wondering minds can always click the labels/tags in our blog's left-hand column to see the sales in past years to get an idea of the sales trends for prior years. Click on the desired topic or the Savings tag/label.

MyHeritageDNA
MyHeritage started its DNA Sale early.  MyHeritageDNA (autosomal) tests now regularly $89 each are on sale for $36 each (plus taxes and shipping) which matches the lowest price ever. Orders of two or more DNA kits receive free shipping. This sale ends November 7, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.

MyHeritageDNA is becoming a "must be at" for its DNA tools. Its customer base is more international. MyHeritage has chromosome browser feature and made its internal member messaging feature free. It also offers an ethnicity/admixture report and a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features including its AutoCluster feature. A few additional features were added earlier this year and last year -- like an update to its ethnicity estimates and genetic groups including viewing the genetic groups of your match and seeing what you have in common.

 

With this sale there are two options for the same sale price. Just the MyHeritageDNA test OR the MyHeritageDNA test along with a 30-Day Complete Free Trial of the websites data collections and photo tools. But note that after the 30 days, the complete subscription will auto-renew unless you cancel the auto-renewal a couple days before the renewal date. For this initial renewal you will get 50% off ($149 instead of $299) the first year and additional years will be at the current regular price.

 

As a reminder, MyHeritageDNA also sells its test kits on Amazon.com and often at sale prices when it is having a sale. However, for this sale the MyHeritageDNA test is NOT on sale on Amazon. It is listed at regular price. If you do find a sale at some point in the future, make sure the seller shown is MyHeritage fulfilled by Amazon and not sold by a third-party unauthorized seller. Non-Amazon Prime members get free shipping due to the total cost and because it is fulfilled by Amazon; prime members just get quicker 2-day shipping for free. 

Look for this before adding your item to your cart.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Bob the Skeleton is Ready for Halloween

You've heard of The Genealogy Fairy, right?

 

Bob the Skeleton, who has sort of become the guardian of the Local History & Genealogy Room at Mount Clemens Public Library, is dressed and ready for Halloween.

Now his costume is not as elaborate as that of the "new guy" upstairs near checkout, but his is more tailored to his chosen room's patrons.

In case you can't enlarge the photo enough to read the haiku and message, here it is.

 

Genealogy Fairy Haiku 

Come close, do not fear
Your Genealogy wish
Whisper in my ear.

 

Bob will put away his alter ego/secret identity (fairy wings, oak leaf crown and fairy wand aka The Genealogy Fairy) early next week to resume his normal identity.

Happy Halloween.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets November 8; The Topic is ... Fold3: How to Use It

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Fold3: How to Use It.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will be found on the Library Events Calendar. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

MCGG Friday Meeting on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m.; In Recognition of Valor & Service: American Military Medals and Service

The MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid*) on Friday, November 3, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... In Recognition of Valor & Service: American Military Medals and Decorations  presented by Steven Mrozek.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link will be found on the Library Events Calendar. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Tomorrow Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets; Topic: Learn to Use the Equipment

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) tomorrow Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Learn to Use the Equipment.

Let's learn how to put the equipment in the Local History & Genealogy Room to use instead of avoiding it. There are a variety of ways to digitize your genealogy materials besides the film/fiche scanners and BookScan Station. There is now audio tape digitization, 8mm and Super8 film digitization, 35 mm slide and negative (various sizes) digitization and VHS digitization. Some items are still being set up but help guides are planned for many of them.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link can be found on the Library Events Calendar. Members will receive a reminder email today with the Zoom invite.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

MyHeritageDNA "Grandfathered In" DNA Upload Sale Now EXTENDED Until Oct. 15

MyHeritageDNA is HAS EXTENDED ITS fantastic promo until October 15, 2023.

Have you taken a DNA test at another testing site (i.e., AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, or 23andMe)? If so, you can download your DNA data from that site and transfer/upload it to MyHeritageDNA.

Why? It gets your test(s) into another DNA pool to fish for matches -- you never know where someone has tested. See some other reasons listed further down below.

And Why Now? From today until October 8 NOW EXTENDED UNTIL OCTOBER 15TH, when you upload your DNA test data to MyHeritageDNA you get the advanced features (normally $29 to unlock) for FREE FOREVER! Thus what many genealogists like to call the Grandfathered In Sale.

Haven't tested yet but would like to? MyHeritageDNA Autumn Sale for autosomal DNA tests is now running. The DNA test itself is regularly $89. This particular sale is offering a 30-Day Complete Free Trial to its website option also for the sale price of $39 plus taxes and shipping. If you already have a data subscription or just don't want the free trail, there is an option for just the test at the sale price.

But note that after the 30 days, the complete subscription will auto-renew unless you cancel the auto-renewal a couple days before the renewal date. For this initial renewal you will get 50% off ($149 instead of $299) the first year and additional years will be at the current regular price. You can cancel at any time.

Around the holidays, the sale price of MyHeritageDNA can be found for $39 as well though last year we saw the lowest price ever for the test alone was $36 for a short period of time. 

The "Grandfathered In" Transfer Sale does not happen every year so when it happens catch it while you can. MyHeritage has guides to help you download your DNA data from whichever website you tested at originally. And, don't worry your original test stays on that original site.

MyHeritageDNA is becoming a "must be at" for its DNA tools. Its customer base is more international. MyHeritage has chromosome browser feature and made its internal member messaging feature free. It also offers an ethnicity/admixture report and a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features including its AutoCluster feature. A few additional features were added earlier last year and the year prior -- like an update to its ethnicity estimates and genetic groups including viewing the genetic groups of your match and seeing what you have in common.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MyHeritageDNA "Grandfathered In Sale" Now Until Oct. 8, 2023; Upload for Free Get Advanced DNA Tools Free Forever

Family History Month (October) in the United States is starting off with a bang! MyHeritageDNA is running a fantastic promo until October 8, 2023.

Have you taken a DNA test at another testing site (i.e. AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, etc.)? If so, you can download your DNA data from that site and transfer/upload it to MyHeritageDNA.

Why? It gets your test(s) into another DNA pool to fish for matches -- you never know where someone has tested. See some other reasons listed further down below.

And Why Now? From today until October 8, when you upload your DNA test data to MyHeritageDNA you get the advanced features (normally $29 to unlock) for FREE FOREVER! Thus what many genealogists like to call the Grandfathered In Sale.

Haven't tested yet but would like to? MyHeritageDNA Summer Sale for autosomal DNA test kits ends today, October 1, 2023. The DNA test itself is regularly $89. This particular sale is offering a 30-Day Complete Free Trial to its website option also for the sale price of $39 plus taxes and shipping. If you already have a data subscription or just don't want the free trail, there is an option for just the test at the sale price.

But note that after the 30 days, the complete subscription will auto-renew unless you cancel the auto-renewal a couple days before the renewal date. For this initial renewal you will get 50% off ($149 instead of $299) the first year and additional years will be at the current regular price. You can cancel at any time.

Around the holidays, the sale price of MyHeritageDNA can be found for $39 as well though last year we saw the lowest price ever for the test alone was $36. 

The "Grandfathered In" Transfer Sale does not happen every year so when it happens catch it while you can. MyHeritage has guides to help you download your DNA data from whichever website you tested at originally. And, don't worry your original test stays on that original site.

MyHeritageDNA is becoming a "must be at" for its DNA tools. Its customer base is more international. MyHeritage has chromosome browser feature and made its internal member messaging feature free. It also offers an ethnicity/admixture report and a list of DNA matches. No data subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features including its AutoCluster feature. A few additional features were added earlier last year and the year prior -- like an update to its ethnicity estimates and genetic groups including viewing the genetic groups of your match and seeing what you have in common.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets October 11; Topic: Learn to Use the Equipment

The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid*) on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Learn to Use the Equipment.

Let's learn how to put the equipment in the Local History & Genealogy Room to use instead of avoiding it. There are a variety of ways to digitize your genealogy materials besides the film/fiche scanners and BookScan Station. There is now audio tape digitization, 8mm and Super8 film digitization, 35 mm slide and negative (various sizes) digitization and VHS digitization. Some items are still being set up but help guides are planned for many of them.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. More details will be included in the reminder email to MCGG members and in a post next week reminding everyone of the meeting and where to find the Zoom link.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

MCGG Friday Meeting on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m.; Using City Directories to Break Brick Walls

The MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid*) on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Using City Directories to Break Down Brick Walls & Help Solve Research Problems formerly listed as City Directories for Genealogy presented by Robert McGarry.

*Our plan is that this will be a hybrid meeting meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. More details will be included in the reminder email to MCGG members and in a post next week reminding everyone of the meeting and where to find the Zoom link.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

RootsTech 2024 Registration is Now Open

Registration for RootsTech 2024 opened up this morning.

 

The genealogy and technology conference takes place February 29 to March 2, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah, but it also has an online component as well for those unable to attend in-person.

Participation in RootsTech 2024 in Salt Lake City requires registration and costs $99 US for a 3-Day Pass or $69 US for a 1-Day Pass. Transportation to Salt Lake City, food and lodging are not included which means you are responsible to arrange those parts separately. Participating in-person you have the opportunity to choose from 250+ exclusive sessions only available in Salt Lake City; 120+ exhibitors/sponsors in the Expo Hall, and a variety of other experiences from being there in-person.

Participation in RootsTech 2024 Online requires registration and the cost is ... FREE! Participating online gives you access to 200+ online sessions in over 26 languages; the ability to join keynote sessions live from where ever you are that day with internet connection;  the ability to chat with other online participants; and access to syllabi and class handouts.

There is a preview of some of the class sessions for RootTech 2024 online as well as an overview of some of the many speakers.

Use your free user account to FamilySearch.org to sign-in at the RootsTech website before you register.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Tomorrow MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets at 6:30 pm at Mt Clemens Library

The 2023 Fall Season has begun. The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person TOMORROW, Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Where Do I Go From Here?.

Bring research questions, brick walls, or new finds to share with the group! Let's share our challenges, maybe someone will have an idea to solve them.

Why is this our most popular discussion topic? Because it is your opportunity to get your questions or problems hopefully answered. But not just from one point of view but often several. And, when you have a new genealogy find you have like-minded genealogists who understand that satisfaction when maybe family members do not.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Tomorrow is Our First Meeting for the 2023 Fall Season -- Join Us!

It is the first meeting for the 2023 Fall Season. The MCGG Friday group meets in-person TOMORROW, Friday, September 8, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Show & Tell.

Bring a family item and tell your story. Note: Keep your fragile family treasure safe and any military items safe as well, bring a photo of the item instead. If we have time, we can learn how to use the equipment in the Local History & Genealogy Room.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

MCGG Releases 2023 Fall Schedule -- Celebrating 50 Years: 1973 - 2023!

Can you believe we've hit our Golden Year? 

It's true the Macomb County Genealogy Group has been meeting for 50 years at the Mount Clemens Public Library. Thankfully, we are back to meeting in-person though we will try to figure out hosting hybrid meetings so our members from afar can participate. Though our actual anniversary is October 12, 2023, we will be celebrating throughout the year and especially at our Annual December Potluck.

See our Let's Talk and MCGG Friday meeting pages for the actual Fall 2023 schedule PDF. The above image of the schedule is just a low-res image. 

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

Family Tree Maker 2019 Update Release; To Bring Green Syncing Weather Soon!

Big News occurred two days ago. And we want to make sure our MCGG members are aware of it.

Software MacKiev announced that a new update (24.2.2) for its Family Tree Maker 2019 software is about to be released in a few days. The update will restore Green Syncing weather meaning a safer sync situation for your FTM2019 tree files and their associated Ancestry online member trees.

The last updates for FTM2019 were in February and March of this year. But for several months since, an Orange Syncing Weather problem has prevailed. This means syncing could cause problems/errors/damage with tree files for users and uploading a tree or downloading a tree could be problematic as well.

Family Tree Maker Sync Weather status levels are: Green means no problems so it is safe to sync; Orange means problems may occur so syncing is not recommended; and Red means serious connection problems so syncing is disabled.

According to the August 11th News announcement, "We've worked with Ancestry engineers to create a free update to FTM 2019 that will allow it to handle the changes made on Ancestry's side. We plan to start rolling out the extensively beta-tested update to version 24.2.2 in a couple of days."

To keep up on the latest Family Tree Maker news be sure to subscribe to Software MacKiev's News. News emails are only sent out when needed and are sent out in smaller batches to help avoid them ending up in your email's spam. So your cousin/friend might get notice before you or you might get it before your cousin/friend.

If you have registered your FTM2019 software with Software MacKiev, you will receive a notification when your updater file is ready for you. A controlled, release of the FTM2019 update will hopefully prevent FTM users from overloading the Ancestry website.

In the meantime, remember the basic protocol to protecting your FTM tree files: compact and manually backup before doing any sync, update or upgrade.

Compact your tree files until you get to 0% reduction; manually backup your tree file (including media files) to an external device (USB, external drive or cloud service.) When you receive your updater file and have done your backups, apply the update. Then again compact your tree files until you get to 0% and then manually backup your tree files to an external device. Then for those tree files that are synced with an Ancestry online tree -- sync them. If you need to sync/upload a tree upload it. If you need to sync/download an online tree download it. And if all went well, then again compact the tree file and manually backup the tree file again. Doing this gives you a backup file to restore from at the various points change happened and gives you more options if you need to go back.

Remember, more backups means that there is less chance of losing your work.

For Family Tree Maker 2017 users, there is no news of an update yet for FTM2017. FTM2017 is still supported but it is two years older than FTM2019. Remember, Software MacKiev is in Ukraine which is in the middle of a war zone. That the company has managed to create a few updates during the war is commendable. The one solution available at this time for FTM2017 users is to upgrade to FTM2019. Or wait.

Side Note: For some unknown reason, the Ancestry Message Board for Genealogy Software > Family Tree Maker software [the PC version] was deleted. Ancestry message boards are where users help other users on various topics. Ancestry appears to have been updating the message boards last month as many disappeared for a while before reappearing. (Remember Ancestry was shutting down the rootsweb.com website trees and message boards starting in May.) The Genealogy Software > Family Tree Maker software message board with over 77,000 posts has not reappeared. If we learn more, we will let you know.

Good luck everyone!

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

And Now Here are Some Events Going on in August in Mount Clemens

We've been asked to help promote the following events.

Saturday, August 5, 10:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.
MCHC: A Trip Down Memory Lane Road Rally

The Mount Clemens Historical Commission presents A Trip Down Memory Lane Road Rally on Saturday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join us for a trip down memory lane! Starting from The Crocker House, follow the route through the decades. At each location scan the QR Code on the sign for the next location and answer to the question. We will reveal the correct answers at the finish line! There is a $20 entry free per team. The fun begins at the Crocker House Museum.

Thursday, August 10, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
MCPL Historic Non-Fiction Book Club -- August:  The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Join the Local History & Genealogy Department of Mount Clemens Public Library for August's Historic Non-Fiction Book Club! This compelling narrative unravels the extraordinary lives of the fearless women who fought against all odds for justice.

 

Thursday, August 17, 6:00 p.m. - 7 p.m.
EE Meyers: America's Greatest Capitol Architect 

The Mount Clemens Historical Commission invites you to come enjoy a zoom chat with Michigan State Capitol historian and curator, Valerie Marvin! She will be joining us to give a fun and informative talk on the architect responsible for our Capitol building, EE Myers, and his impact on multiple major US cities. This program will be virtual AND in-person in our new Local History room!

Stay cool everyone!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

It's Restock Your Genealogy Supply Sales Time aka Back-to-School Sales!

Update: Originally posted July 9, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Corrected Prime Day Date.

It's time for our annual reminder ...
Back-to-School Sales on school supplies are not just for kids! These sales are for genealogists too!

Just a few of the many supplies a genealogist would use.

We are sure there is a Back-to-School sale out there somewhere. So prepare yourself for these sales AND for Amazon Prime Day 2023 which is July 13 11 & 12 this year. (Our Google search failed this year.)

Anyone who uses a lot of common office supplies should keep their eyes and ears open for some extreme savings that are only around this time year for certain supplies. So be smart and pay attention to those Back-to-School Sales going on for the next couple months so you can partake in the savings too. 

What would interest a genealogist? The first things that come to mind are USB Flash drives (large sizes at great prices and small sizes at even better prices); printer/copier paper; pens and pencils; pencil lead (for those mechanical pencils); highlighters; file folders or pocket folders; paper and binder clips; index cards for those that like old school ways; plastic file boxes (keep that water damage away); sticky notes; binders; paper; computer accessories (like mice, computer bags, external hard drives for backups and backups for the backups or to just expand your file storage capacity, printers, software, large monitors, and more); etc. Even office desks and chairs can be found on sale. 

Yes, for some things it is best to make sure you get acid-free versions, but that can get expensive and sometimes compromises must be made. Note acid-free copier/printer paper is easier to find nowadays. 

Also, at about this time of year (July/August/September) computer manufacturers are about to release their new models so good to great prices can often be found on this past year's models. (If your computer is really old and can not upgrade to Windows 10 11 because of old hardware or low-memory issues consider these sales. Also if your computer is more than five years old consider the changes currently taking place in Windows 10  11 updates that will not account for older hardware.) Why risk continuing to use old hardware -- step into the modern technology world. Just remember to get as large of hard drive and as much memory as you are able to afford, and keep an eye on processor speed/power. There are other factors to consider when buying a computer -- these are three key ones. While desktop computers are a little less expensive, laptops have the advantage of portability meaning you can take them with you to the library or researching. Laptops with DVD/CD readers/burners are getting harder to find but you can find them though it may mean a larger laptop. Or consider getting a stand-alone DVD/CD drive to go with the laptop. Chrome books and tablet/laptop conversions can be cheaper but may not run your programs/applications. Make sure the device you are considering can handle your must-have program/applications. And, lastly do not forget about those external hard drives for additional storage space AND for backing up all your data. Lastly, you can always add a large-size monitor to make viewing the screen easier.

And for those who shop Amazon. Hopefully, you see this before the 2023 Prime Day begins. If not you might want to wait for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.  Put what you are eyeing in a shopping list and watch it for a while to see how the price drops or rises. Great deals can be found so keep an eye out for those short term deals but remember to do your due diligence and make sure your sale price is indeed a good one.

May you find the deals on what you need, not on what you don't need. 

See you someday soon at our favorite library! 
LE

The 1931 Canada Census is Released!

It is June 1, 2023. It is Release Day for the 1931 Canada Census!

Remember, there is no person index yet. You need to find the location where your people were living in 1931 and search manually to find them.

Good luck.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

DNA Tests and Law Enforcement -- Another Reminder

You may have seen some reporting the past few days about genetic genealogy being used to identify criminals. And you may have some concerns but please do not panic about your DNA tests.

First, remember reporters often use the phrase "ancestry DNA" which is what causes total confusion with regards to what is happening. When they say "ancestry DNA" they most often do not mean the company service AncestryDNA but it is too easy for listeners/viewers to make that mistake. Honestly, there needs to be a better term they could use. Even genetic genealogy has several meanings. It also does not help when the reporting uses the logos of various genealogy/DNA testing companies when some of them do not allow law enforcement to use their databases. Confusing -- right?

So with regards to the AncestryDNA, you simply need to look at its self-produced Transparency Report to see that it has not turned over any DNA information to law enforcement. The report comes out twice a year -- January - June and July to December. Now, that does not mean these genetic/forensic/law enforcement researchers have not looked at public trees on Ancestry with the clues they have received from those companies that do allow law enforcement into their databases.

23andMe another company mentioned in the reporting also does not allow law enforcement into its databases.

For a reminder of who allows law enforcement in and who does not, see our post from January 1, 2023, on DNA and Law Enforcement are in the News ... Again -- So Be Informed.

We also spotted this journal article, the should be of help in understanding the subject.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MCGG Meets Tomorrow, Friday, June 2 at 1 pm; 2nd Annual MCGG Member Medley

It is the last meeting before Summer break. The MCGG Friday group meets in-person TOMORROW, Friday, June 2, 2023, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is our ... 2nd Annual MCGG Member Medley.

Through short (five- to ten-minute) presentations/ stories we will learn about our fellow members' research efforts and resources used which might give us ideas to help our own research. 

In addition, if any members have a Show & Tell they are welcome to tell their story that way. Note: Keep your fragile family treasure safe, bring a photo of the item.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

June's MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy meeting on Wed., June 14 is In-Person

It is the last meeting before Summer break. The MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History and Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... How Did Your Parents Meet?

We will discuss what we know of how our parents met. How are you recording it and other family stories for future generations?

New attendees are always welcome.

See you soon at the Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE

Local History & Genealogy Room's May Hours at Mt. Clemens Public Library

We wanted to pass on the new month of May Hours for our favorite library's Local History and Genealogy Room.

Monday: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: By appointment only.
Email: localhistory@mtclib.org for appointments

If you are coming from a distance to do research in the room this Summer, it is suggested you contact the library at the local history email to verify when the room will be open and staff/volunteers can make sure requested materials are available.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE

MCGG's May Meeting is In-Person

MCGG's May meeting is an in-person combined meeting of both the MCGG Friday Group and MCGG Let' Talk...Genealogy discussion group. The MCGG Summer Potluck and Silent Auction of genealogical materials is Wednesday, May 10. Doors open at 5 p.m.; dinner at 6 p.m. 

Bring a dish to share and join the fun.

MCGG Members please respond to the meeting reminder email so we can get a head-count by Sunday, May 7.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE